Pump plunger valve and stem



Dee. 3, 1929. H. s. BERKEY PUMP PLUNGER VALVE AND STEM HuaH 5. BER/EyGrroR/vgy Filed May 24, 1927 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 1 UNITED STATES HUGHS. BERKEY, OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA PUMP PLUNGER VALVE AND STEMApplication led May 24, 1927.

Mypresent invention relates to improvements in deep well pumps; and moreparticularly to deep well pumps in which provision is made for thepositive opening and closing of a working valve incidentally to thereciprocation of a plunger.

As is well known, in the` operation of reciprocating` pumps by'means ofvsucker rods whose sections are connected by means of threadedcouplings,suclrsections are liable occasionally to separate; and effortsto establish connection therebetween have heretofore been complicatedordefeated by a tendency of the lower or fish sections torotate, insteadof remaining stationary, during efforts to reunitesaid sections. Itisaccordingly an object of my invention to provide means for preventingrelative rotation of a sucker rod y section which extends into areciprocable plunger.

Further l objects .of my invention, including the use of a novel valvewhich maybe referred to as an inverted plumb-bob, positively `heldagainst a shoulder and seated reciprocably within anelongated cage, andoptionally involving the use of a novel valve guard and/or a reversiblevalve seat which serves as a coupling, may be best appreciated from thefollowing description of `an illustrative embodiment of my invention,taken in connection with the appended claims and in the accompanyingdrawings, in which l Fig. 1` may be referred to as a substantiallymedian section through-a pump organization embodying my invention7partsbeing broken away.; v w l y Fig. 2 is an enlarged view,comparablewith the upper portion ofFig. 1, but talien in a plane atright angles thereto,-substantially 0 `as indicated by the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

' 3 is a view, similarly enlarged, comparable with the lower portion ofFig. 1, but taken at right angles thereto,-substantially as indicated bythe lines 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is a horizontal sectional viewtalrensubstantially as indicatedby the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

"Referring to the details of that specific embodiment of my inventionchosen for purposes of illustration, 11 being a pump cylin- Serial No.193,761.

der of any desired character and length, 12 is a plunger cylinder,-whichmay closely interfit, although adapted to reciprocate therein; and theupper end of said plunger is shown as provided with a head member 13,which is laterally cut away,-to provide parallel vertical faces 14;,14', through which may be cut iuid outlet apertures 15, 15', and/ orother apertures as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Instead of providing the mentioned plunger, or its equivalent, with anupwardly opening valve, or securing said plunger directly to a suckerrod comprising a lowermost section or coupling 16, I show the mentionedrod or coupling as directly connected only with a subsidiary orvalve-operating rod 17,-this subsidiary rod being capable of a limitedreciprocation relatively to said plunger, through a vertically-extendingaperture 18 in the head 13, or its equivalent. The extent of thisrelative reciprocation may be limited by, for example, the adjustment ofa. lock nut 19, or its equivalent, shown on said subsidiary rod and asadapted to engage an oppositely disposed shoulder 20, on said head; butit should be understood that a primary purpose of the lost motion orrelative movement here referred to its a suitable and positivemanipulation of a downwardly-opening valve, of any preferred character,secured at 30 or near the lower end of the subsidiary rod 17. I show adouble-ended valve seat element 21 as secured relatively to thecylindrical plunger body 12 by means of an intermediate or male-femalecoupling element 22, provided with a vertically-extending passage 23, ofsufficient diameter to permit not only a free reciprocation of thesubsidiary rod 17, or its equivalent, but also a free passage ofpumpedliuid therethrough; and, in case it is considered desirable to protectthe mentioned parts, and/or a valve element 24, carried by thesubsidiary rod 17, by means such as a guard element 25 (shown asresembling in `form an elongated cage, and optionally provided with athreaded opening 26, suitable for use in lifting a standing valveorganization, not shown, at will) this protecting or guard element mayadvantageously be so employed as to serve as a lock nut, holding theseat 100 ,circular section 31 ofrod 17.

element 21, or its equivalent, securely in an adjusted positionrelatively to the plunger cylinder 12 or the intermediate member 22, oran equivalent part.

Although the valve element 24: may be of any preferred character, I showthe same as frusto-conical in general form, as retained in engagementwith a shoulder 27 at the upper end of a reduced portion 28 of the rod17, as rounded forV avqstream-line effect at its lower end 29, and asretained by means of a nut or nuts 30 upon a. threaded extension of saidreduced portion.

The subsidiary rod 17 being provided with a hexagonal or othernon-circular section 31, the apertured plunger head 13 is shown as soshaped, belowI the" circular opening 2O through which the said rodextends, as to yprovide parallel, flat `surfaces 32, 32', between whicha hexangularA body 33 may be slidably interitted. lThis slidable body isshown as provided with a non-circular opening, corresponding in shape tothe outline of the non- The slidable body 33'may` be held in place bymeans such asa nut 34,; and its'length, position and rela- 'tionshiptothe parallel surfaces 32, 32 may besuch, with regard to the movementper-v mitted between nut 19 and shoulder 20, that it can never, duringpumping or other opera` tions', escape from slidable retention betweenfsaid parallel surfaces,-this constructionproviding apreferred means toprevent relative rotation between the subsidiary rod 17and the plungercomprising `cylinder 12, or its equivalent. The Ydescribed lost-motionrelationship between the subsidiary rod 17, carrying and operating thevalve 24, is obviouslv such that,

Aduring each descending stroke, the valve 24 is opened beforek theplunger descends; and said `valve isvafterwards closed before theplungerrises. The shape ofthe valve 24, as

related to its seat, is favorable not only to .tight closure but to freeflow. The fit of the 'A pump plunger 12 within the outer cylinder u 11maybe such as to permit, upon a suitable application of rotative power,a transmission `of torque through all of the mentioned movi able parts,in such manner that thread 26 may engage (whenever the plunger islowered for rthat purpose)l any special upstanding membercorrespondingly l threaded for use in pulling a standing valveorganization not shown) but ythe lit ofthe plunger within its cylinderAand its massare nevertheless to be vpresumedsuch as ordinarily toprevent free relative rotation therebetween. Accordingly, thesubsidiaryrod 17, with any number of sections of 'sucker rod'attachedthereto, is to be Y"understoodasfsuiiiciently held, by means Iincluding'the described interlitting n'on-cir- I cular member andsurfaces 3l, 32, 32 and 33,

to prevent any rotationV thereof, during the screwing or unscrewing ofsections of pump rod, or during analogous operations.

Obviously any desired valves and/or auxiliary devices, not shown, may beplaced above and/or below a plunger of the indicated character; saidplunger may be of any preferred type, with or without special packing;and although, for convenience of description, I have used terms as aboveand below, it will be appreciated that a plunger constructed andequipped in somewhat the indicated manner may be used in any positionwhatever and operated by any desired means. Although I have hereindescribed a single complete embodiment of my invention, it should beunderstood not only that various features thereof may be independentlyused but also that numerous modilications might be devised, by thoseskilled in the arts to which this case relates, without the slightestdeparture from the spirit and scope of this invention, as the same isindicated above and in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reciprocable by asucker rod; a valve-operating rod extending through said plunger; andmeans constantly preventing relative rotation between said plunger andsaid valve operating rod.

2. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reciprocable by asucker rod; a valve-operating rod extending through said plunger; andmeans constantly preventing relative rotation between said plunger andsaid valve operating rod,-said last mentioned means comprising anon-circular section on said valve-operating rod, an apertured membermounted in said plunger; and a non-circular member interposedtherebetween.

3. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reciprocable by asucker rod; a valve-operating rod extending into said plunger; and meansconstantly preventing relative rotation between said plunger and saidvalve operating rodV-said last mentioned means comprising a non-circularsec tion on said valve-operating rod, an apertured member mounted insaid plunger; and a non-circular member interposed therebetween, saidlast mentioned member being secured by threaded means engaging said rod.

4. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reciprocable by asucker rod; a valve operating rod slidably movable through said plunger;a valve seat carried by 5. A pumping organization comprising: a pumpplunger reciprocable by a sucker rod; a valve operating rod slidablymovable through said plunger; a valve seat carried by said plunger; afrustro conical valve positively 'reciproeable by said valve operatingrod relatively to said seat; and means for constantly preventingrotation between said plunger and said valve operating rod, said valveseat being a double ended seat which is engaged by a member serving as alock nut and as an apertured guard, said apertured guard being providedwith a threaded vertically extending opening.

6. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reoiprooable by asucker rod; a valve operating rod slidably movable through said plunger;a valve seat carried by said plunger; a trust-ro conical valvepositively reciprocable by said valve operating rod relatively to saidseat; and means for oonstantly preventing rotation between said plungerand said valve operating rod, said valve seat being a double ended seatwhich is engaged by a lock nut and an apertured guard, said aperturedguard being provided with a threaded vertically extending opening; saidrotation preventing means comprising a non-circular section of saidvalve operating rod, an apertured member comprised in Said plunger and anon-circular member inu terposed therebetween.

7. A pumping organization comprising: a pump plunger reciprocable by asucker rod; a valve operating rod slidably movable through said plunger;a valve seat carried by said plunger; a rustro-eonical valve positivelyreciprocable by said rod relatively to said seat; and means forconstantly preventing rotation between said plunger and said valveoperating rod.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Huntington Beach,California, this 18th day of May, 1927.

HUGH S. BERKEY.

